Student & Campus Safety Resources

GGUSD’s priority is the safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and community, which is why we have embraced a multi-pronged approach to safety that includes investments in campus security, technology, mental health and wellness, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), student and staff trainings, safety assessments, campus security personnel, and partnerships with the Garden Grove Police Department (GGPD) and other local, state and national law enforcement agencies.

GGUSD continually reviews our procedures, practices and resources to help foster a safe learning environment for all students.

District and Campus Safety Initiatives

All GGUSD school sites and District facilities have safety plans in place, which are updated annually and as needed throughout the year. Safety plans are reviewed and updated in collaboration with the Garden Grove Police Department and Orange County Department of Education Emergency Management staff.

Schools regularly conduct safety drills with students and staff to prepare for a variety of potential situations. Drills include procedures for lockdowns; shelter in place; run-hide-fight; and earthquake and fire preparedness procedures.

GGUSD has installed Rapid Responder (RR), an emergency management database application to support all schools with tactical response tools and protocol for active shooter situations.

GGUSD has adopted the Run-Hide-Fight protocol for active shooter situations. Staff at all levels have been trained in conjunction with GGPD on this life saving protocol.

GGUSD installed new ingress and egress security procedures for all sites that are undergoing modernization upgrades. Visitor sign-in procedures and credentialing are now part of standard practice.

All GGUSD schools follow the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CEPTED) model, which is intended to create physically-safe learning environments. District schools restrict campus access during the school day through directional signage, landscaping, active supervision and designated ingress/egress points of entry.

GGUSD has installed security cameras on campuses which are monitored daily.

Some GGUSD Schools have intrusion alarms and panic alarms that are linked directly to a 24/7 monitoring service that can rapidly direct emergency responders to our schools if needed.

Partnership with Law Enforcement

GGUSD enjoys a close partnership with the Garden Grove Police Department (GGPD), as well as Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, and Westminster police departments, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. GGUSD works collaboratively with local law enforcement regarding all aspects of school safety, including threat assessments, student and staff trainings, and site-specific response planning.

GGUSD has safety guidelines in place to ensure that all area law enforcement follow the same procedures to keep our campuses safe.

GGPD provides four full-time School Resource Officers assigned to GGUSD intermediate and high schools. School Resource Officers help provide campus safety and serve as a resource for students, parents, and school administrators to create a positive connection between the community and GGPD.

Our local law enforcement experts, works with the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, the FBI, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center and more on a broad range of issues, including but not limited to school safety and violent intruders. GGPD collaborates with these agencies for annual staff and student trainings.

GGUSD meets quarterly with GGPD for a Community Safety Meeting. During this meeting GGUSD leadership, GGPD Officers, and community members discuss the latest and best protocols for maintaining student safety.

Below are the First Responder/Law Enforcement agencies we work with throughout the district:

Garden Grove Police Department

Dispatch:

(714) 741-5704

Traffic Control:

(714) 741-5273

Fountain Valley Police Department

Dispatch:

(714) 593-4484

Fountain Valley Fire Department

Main Number:

(714) 593-4436

Orange County Fire Authority

Main Number:

(714) 573-6000

Orange County Sheriff Department

Main Number:

(714) 647-7000

Santa Ana Police Department

Dispatch:

(714) 834-4211

Santa Ana Fire Department

Main Number:

(714) 647-5700

Westminster Police Department

Dispatch:

(714) 897-2511

Stay Connected to GGUSD

GGUSD asks that parents make sure their personal contact information in the Parent Portal is up to date to ensure quick communication in the event of an emergency. Up-to-date contact information is important to ensure schools have on file the names of individuals who are eligible to pick up students from school, particularly in the event of an emergency.

In the event of an emergency, GGUSD uses a mass notification system called SchoolMessenger, to contact families. Parents and guardians should first check their voicemail and email, as well as text messages (for those parents who have opted into our text message notifications).

Parents who are not receiving voicemails, emails, or text messages from the district, should contact their child’s school for assistance.

GGUSD elementary school use WeTip, an anonymous hotline, for all students and parents to report any behavior that may be of a concern. The WeTip hotline, 1-800-782-7463, is open and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. WeTip’s hotline is a solution for students and community members to take an active role in maintaining safe schools.

GGUSD’s secondary schools use Google Voice which allows students and parents to report concerning/suspicious behavior or issues of concern.

Reunification

In the event of an emergency during the school day, the following are some important points to remember:

The District maintains responsibility for our students. GGUSD will work with first responders to safely release students to parents or authorized guardians through an established reunification process.

Look for information from your school or the District about where parent/student reunifications will take place. You should first check your email, voicemail and text messages.

Students will only be released to persons listed on the school's emergency contact card.

Bring a valid picture ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.

Be sure your emergency contacts are up to date in Parent Portal, so that they may also be able to pick-up your child in the event of an emergency. Your emergency contacts must also have a valid photo ID.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

PBIS is a universal prevention system, implemented at most GGUSD schools, to promote social well-being and establish student expectations for the learning and teaching environment, social culture, and campus norms.

PBIS supports academic success and develops a strong school culture in which students learn early on what is expected behavior. This has proven critical in supporting students and helping them feel comfortable reporting behavior or concerns that are not in line with their school’s culture. In other words, it supports “if you see something, say something,” helping to make our campuses and students safer.

PBIS has also helped GGUSD to improve our school climate and increase our students’ positive behavior.

GGUSD staff has been trained in Restorative Practices to promote equity, empathy, ethics and justice for students and staff

Mental Health Resources

GGUSD believes that supporting our students’ mental health is equally important to campus and personnel safety.

The GGUSD Department of Special Education and Student Services offers many mental health supports for students and families.Our school-level support staff include:

School Psychologists at each school site

School Psychologist Interns at many school sites

School Counselors at all Intermediate and High Schools

School Social Worker at several school sites

School Social Worker interns at many school sites

In addition to the support staff above GGUSD offers the following programs that support student mental health and wellness:

All 7-12 teachers and administrators have been trained how to identify the most common signs of mental illness and how to support and refer students for additional help.

District-wide School Based Mental Health counseling for any student that may need mental health support

GGUSD's investments in mental health and wellness have increased our ability to support students at school to ensure that we are able to quickly and effectively support all of our students’ mental wellness.

Helping Children Cope with Grief or Violence

GGUSD recognizes that children process grief and reactions to violence differently.Below are resources to help families communicate with their child about these difficult topics.

Student and Parent Support

While GGUSD has plans in place that are regularly practiced, please know that school safety is not something we can do alone. The partnership and support we have with GGPD and our school community is critical. We ask for your support in reminding students to please take all drills seriously, follow law enforcement, teacher and site administrator instructions, and if they see something, say something - it is the best deterrent to potentially harmful situations. We want everyone on our campus, including parents and guardians to be empowered to report any unusual or suspicious activity.

In the case of an emergency at our schools, we ask that you please remember to look for information from our District. We deliver messages through email, voicemail, text messages, District and school websites and social media.

Please ensure that your child’s school has your most current contact information on file – email and phone are crucial.

By working together we can provide students a safe and healthy learning environment where they can focus and thrive.

OUR VISION

We are committed to preparing all students to be successful and responsible citizens who contribute and thrive in a diverse society.

The Garden Grove Unified School District prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying in educational programs, activities or employment on the basis of actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, parental, pregnancy, family, or marital status or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.